Cavs continue winning ways
By Jeff White
Published: February 19, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- One-game wonders, the Virginia Cavaliers are not. They proved that last night by whipping arch-rival Virginia Tech 75-61 in ACC men's basketball before a frenzied crowd at John Paul Jones Area.

The seemingly hapless team that carried an eight-game losing streak into last weekend -- and looked capable of finishing 1-15 in ACC play -- has won two in a row.

U.Va. stunned then-No. 12 Clemson 85-81 in overtime Sunday, then avenged their Jan. 10 loss to the Hokies last night.

"We're on a real emotional high right now," said freshman Sylven Landesberg, who led Virginia with 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The 6-6 guard had only one turnover in 38 minutes.

U.Va. snapped a three-game losing streak against Tech. Cavaliers coach Dave Leitao, whose record in the series improved to 5-4, said he doesn't worry about such things, but his players had been keeping score.

"It was a big deal for us, because they beat us three times in a row," said senior center Tunji Soroye, who tied his ACC career high with six points.

At Cassell Coliseum, the Cavaliers looked helpless against Tech stars A.D. Vassallo and Malcolm Delaney, who combined for 54 points on 19-of-33 shooting. U.Va. needed to make no apologies for its defense last night. The Hokies (6-5, 16-9) shot 36.7 percent the floor.

"I thought for the most part, it looked like a defensive team out there," Leitao said, "and that's very, very pleasing to me."

Vassallo scored a game-high 21 points, but Delaney was 3 of 13 from the floor and finished with 11 points, well below his average of 18.6. It helped U.Va. (3-8, 9-13), of course, that the Hokies played without their best big man, sophomore Jeff Allen, who was on the bench in street clothes serving a one-game suspension.

Allen's absence allowed the Cavaliers to focus more on disrupting the rhythms of Vassallo and Delaney, and Leitao praised the defense of his perimeter players, particularly Landesberg, Jeff Jones and Calvin Baker.

Another standout was junior forward Jamil Tucker, who came off the bench to contribute 13 points -- he was 3 of 5 from beyond the arc -- nine rebounds and two assists.

"I'm very, very proud, because we won the game the way I've tried to have the game played since I've been here," Leitao said, "which is about defense, rebounding and getting out on the break and timely offense. I thought throughout the course of the game we did that."

With 3:20 left in the first half, the teams were tied at 29-29. Virginia then ran off 10 points -- six by Soroye, who has not known for his offense -- and went into the break up 39-29.

"I think it was huge," Tech coach Seth Greenberg said of U.Va.'s end-of-half run. "We were playing from behind in the second half, and we didn't get off to a good start."

Three minutes in, the Wahoos led 46-31. The gap lead grew to 19, on a 3-pointer by Jones with 7:17 to play, before Tech rallied, just as Virginia had in Blacksburg last month.

The Hokies cut their deficit to eight with 2:37 to play, but Virginia made enough free throws to avert a collapse.

Against Clemson, Jones and sophomore forward Mike Scott combined for 30 points. At intermission last night, neither had scored. Scott picked up two early fouls and played only three minutes in the first half. Jones attempted only one shot in 15 minutes.

But each broke through in the second half. Jones hit two treys and a deft reverse layup, and Scott rang up 10 points and four rebounds.

 

Delaney goes cold; so does Tech
By Darryl Slater
Published: February 19, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - He caught the ball on the left wing, just behind the 3-point line. He raised his elbow into that right angle, just as he has thousands of times before. Then Malcolm Delaney did what he does better than almost everybody on Virginia Tech's team: He shot the ball.

The flick, the follow-through - it all looked familiar. In his first seven ACC games this season, what came next was usually the snapping sound of the ball swishing through the net. He made 51.5 percent of the shots he took in those games and established himself, midway through his sophomore season, as Tech's leading scorer and one of the ACC's best guards.

But after last night's 75-61 loss to Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena, Delaney finds himself stuck in a slump. His brutal stat line against the Cavaliers - 3-of-13 shooting, 0 of 5 on 3-pointers, 11 points and five turnovers in 40 minutes - leaves him with a 16-of-52 shooting performance (30.8 percent) to show for his past four games, during which Tech is 2-2.

That 3 from the left wing with 11:49 left last night? Clanked off the rim. Another open 3 in the corner with 8:26 left? Also drew iron. Of the three shots he made, one was an uncontested dunk, another an uncontested layup.

For all the fuss about sophomore forward Jeff Allen's absence last night - the result of a one-game suspension after he made an obscene gesture to Maryland's fans during Saturday's loss - the Hokies (6-5 ACC, 16-9) will have a tough time during their final five games if Delaney can't make shots, regardless of who else is on the court with him.

Yes, Allen sitting on the bench in street clothes did allow the Cavaliers, who played a 3-2 zone, to push an extra defender toward Delaney on the perimeter. Tech coach Seth Greenberg acknowledged that much. And while Greenberg frets about a lot of things, he isn't losing sleep over Delaney's shooting touch.

"He hasn't lost it," Greenberg said. "It's not like he's put it somewhere in his room and he's going to be looking around all night to try to find it."

Delaney, who entered last night averaging 18.6 points, hurt his right (shooting) wrist in practice this week, and it was too stiff for him to shoot during one practice. Yet he got up some shots later and felt OK.

"So I thought coming into the game that I was going to be good," he said.

His wrist didn't hurt him afterward, and his confidence wasn't bruised either. "I'm going to hit them," he said. "Next game, I can't let my team down again. I'm a very confident player, even when I'm missing shots. I always have confidence in myself."

Greenberg was displeased that Delaney took just two shots in the first half. He made one. "I told him he needed to be more aggressive," he said. "He didn't shoot a couple shots I think he should have shot. We've got to get him the ball sooner. We've got to pass the ball better."

With five games remaining in the regular season and the chase for an NCAA tournament bid heating up, Greenberg hopes the Hokies can get that and other kinks fixed. Three of the four opponents they play during that stretch - Florida State, Clemson and Duke - are 7-4 in the ACC and tied with Wake Forest for second place. The fourth, North Carolina, is 10-2.

"A week ago, we had a two-game win streak," Greenberg said of wins over North Carolina State and Georgia Tech. "We weren't jumping off bridges and slitting our wrists. We lost two road games. We're not going to go into panic mode."

 

Cavs back in business; Hokies keep backing up
By Paul Woody
Published: February 19, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE Productive players are not always pretty players. But productive players tend to make the extra pass. Productive players keep the ball alive on the offensive backboards.

Productive players get things done.

In the second half of the game against Boston College on Feb. 4, University of Virginia men's basketball coach Dave Leitao decided to go with players who produced instead of players who flashed potential. It took some time for everyone to get comfortable, but now the Cavaliers have consecutive victories at home.

Last night, the victim was Virginia Tech, 75-61. If the Cavaliers continue to play as they did against the Hokies, who knows what might happen in the final five ACC games.

"There was just a change of mindset," said backup center Tunji Soroye. "There's a lot going on with the team. We changed everything around. That's helped us a lot, and it shows on the court too."

Last night, the Cavaliers not only looked like a different team than earlier in the season, they looked like a dangerous team at this point of the season.

The players Leitao inserted in the starting lineup -- Calvin Baker, Jeff Jones and Solomon Tat -- give the Cavaliers energy and purpose when they're on the court. The team's star player, freshman Sylven Landesberg, is becoming a better allaround player. The players now coming off the bench, Mike Scott, a 6-8 forward, and Sammy Zeglinski, a 6-0 guard, either play with more passion -- Scott -- or with more confidence -- Zeglinski.

Add in Soroye and his physical presence, and Jamil Tucker, an unlikely looking three-point shooter with his 6-9 frame and 241-pound base, and the Cavaliers suddenly have a team that can operate on the outside, which creates openings on the inside.

Several times last night, Zeglinski, freed from the pressure of having to show why he is a starter, used his left hand to hook bounce passes inside. Landesberg penetrated and when the defense came at him, dropped the ball to a post player. The result was resounding dunks by Scott, Soroye and Assane Sene.

Leitao and his coaching staff had to strain their brains to recall such a dunk-a-thon by the Cavaliers.

"That's about sharing the basketball and finding the open man," Leitao said.

The Cavaliers now find themselves with momentum as they face their final five games, all against ACC opponents. None of the games are easy -- at N.C. State and Clemson and home games against Miami, Wake Forest and Maryland. But none are as overwhelming as they looked before the Cavaliers went on this little winning streak.

Meanwhile, the Hokies have hit a lull at the wrong time. They're 2-4 in their past six conference games. Their schedule is not conducive to a quick recovery.

Virginia Tech was missing power forward Jeff Allen last night. He sat out because of a one-game suspension for the obscene gesture he made after fouling out against Maryland. That changed some things for Virginia Tech.

Whether Allen's presence would have changed the outcome is another question. The Cavaliers were ready from the opening tip and never let up.

"If we don't win the next five games, it's a damaging loss," Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. "If we win three of the next five games, this is [just] a loss. A week ago, we were on a two game winning streak.

"We beat Georgia Tech pretty handily, and did some things."

Georgia Tech, the last-place team in the conference, is not Florida State (home and away), Clemson, Duke or North Carolina, the Hokies remaining opponents.

"We're not going to throw ourselves a pity party," Greenberg said. "We're not going to go into panic mode."

The Cavaliers have shifted into winning mode. They like the way that looks and feels.

"We won the game the way I've tried to have the game played since I've been here, which is defense, rebounding, getting out on the break and timely offense," Leitao said. "Before you can change the score, you have to change the way you do your business."

Business for the Cavaliers suddenly is good.
 

Suddenly, U.Va. coasts, while once-vibrant Tech sputters
Bob Molinaro
Virginian-Pilot columnist
Read Articles
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 19, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

In a span of four days, Virginia has tripled its number of ACC victories this season.

That's quite a trick this late in the season. It requires a staggering run of failure leading up to a spasm of success.

Eight losses in a row, all to conference opponents, fit that description, but who's counting, right?

Now, with the law of averages squarely on their side, the Cavaliers have saved a little face, if not the season. They raised their conference record to 3-8 with the victory over Virginia Tech on Wednesday night, putting more distance between themselves and last- place Georgia Tech.

This is what passes for good news at U.Va. these days.

The Cavaliers broke their losing streak by upending Clemson in overtime Sunday at the John Paul Jones Arena. The victory was nothing less than a surprise.

The 75-61 decision over Virginia Tech - not so much.

The Hokies had the look of a patsy even before taking the court. Saturday at Maryland, they lost a game and power forward Jeff Allen, in street clothes against U.Va. while serving a one-game suspension for making a "gesture" toward the abusive College Park crowd.

"We lost two road games," Hokies coach Seth Greenberg said. "We're not going to go into panic mode."

Tech, which dropped to 6-5 in the ACC, has five conference games left. As long as it remains a candidate for an at-large NCAA bid, its losses will be more scrutinized than any of U.Va.'s earlier failures.

Not that long ago, back-to-back Tech road victories - over then No. 1 Wake Forest and Miami - seemed to put the Hokies in good position for the NCAA tournament. But since then, they've lost 4 of 6, three away from home.

"It's hard to win on the road," Greenberg said.

The remaining schedule includes a trip to Clemson, home-and-home against Florida State and dates with Duke and North Carolina in Blacksburg. Killer games, someone suggested to Greenberg.

"All the games in this conference are killer games," he said.

U.Va. knows something about that. But this time, the Cavs avoided the slow start that has plagued so many of their losses to lead by 10 at the half. They were never seriously challenged after that.

With another victory, U.Va. believes it has overcome its penchant for what Dave Leitao called "unemotional starts."

And while Greenberg did his best to discount Allen's loss - "We coached the guys who were eligible to play." - Leitao acknowledged that his absence from the paint helped U.Va. check Tech's perimeter players.

"You can step out one, two, maybe even three more steps on their shooters," he said, "knowing there's not a guy behind you capable of getting 20 points."

With Allen out, Tech needed more production from Malcolm Delaney, but the sophomore guard finished with only 11 points.

Delaney's downward trajectory is shared for the moment by the rest of the team, which seemed so full of promise not long ago.

Asked about Tech's chances of overcoming its recent slump, Greenberg said, "Depends what happens the next five games. We're not going to throw a pity party for ourselves."

Meanwhile, with three more home games, a small resurgence by U.Va. isn't out of the question.

Judging by recent efforts, the Cavaliers won't give in to self-pity.

That, too, passes for good news.

 

Cavaliers dominate listless Hokies inside
David Teel
February 19, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

With Jeff Allen suspended, Virginia Tech needed its secondary players to emerge Wednesday night at Virginia.

When top scorer Malcolm Delaney turned up the basketball equivalent of AWOL, the Hokies' need became more acute.

Didn't happen. Not close.

Conversely, Cavaliers supporting actors — hey, it's Oscar season — such as Assane Sene and Tunji Soroye made vital contributions at both ends to spark Virginia's 75-61 victory at raucous John Paul Jones Arena.

Not far removed from an eight-game, 39-day winless stretch, Virginia boasts two victories in four days.

Winner of five straight last month, including a 78-75 decision over the Cavaliers, Virginia Tech has dropped four of its last six to jeopardize its NCAA tournament chances.

Go figure.

But any semblance of normalcy for this game vanished when Allen, the Hokies' top rebounder and No. 3 scorer, got himself busted for a game by flipping off fans at Maryland on Saturday.

Given Allen's absence, Mike Scott inside figured to be one of Virginia's best offensive matchups. But Scott committed two quick fouls and played only four first-half minutes.

No worries for the Cavs (9-13, 3-8).

In Scott's absence, Sene and Soroye provided — dare we say? — intimidating post presence on both ends.

Sene got loose for two easy dunks and altered several shots near the bucket. Soroye blocked a J.T. Thompson shot and scored six points in the final four minutes of the first half as Virginia used an 11-2 run to lead 39-29 at the break.

That's 10 first-half points for a duo that, in 10 previous conference games this season, averaged 3.8 points combined.

"I wouldn't give them too much credit," Thompson said. "I'd say we were messing up."

The Sene-Soroye numbers weren't the most troubling in the first half for the Hokies (16-9, 6-5). This was: two.

That was the number of shots Delaney attempted in 20 minutes. When you're No. 3 scorer is suspended, your top scorer sure as heck better be hoisting more than two shots.

"Part of it was their (zone) defense," Delaney said, "and I passed up a lot of shots."

The game's most telling sequence transpired early in the second half with the Cavaliers leading 46-33.

Delaney forced a corner 3-pointer off an inbounds play. Air ball.

A.D. Vassallo rebounded, but Sene swatted his stickback. Tech retained possession, and Vassallo missed a runner over Sene, the ball dribbling out of bounds to the Hokies.

Finally, Thompson burrowed inside, only to be rejected by Sene.

Four shots, no points. The Hokies were just about done.

Sene and Soroye weren't as forceful during the second half, but Scott scored 10 points to extend the Cavaliers' inside dominance.

How much did Tech miss Allen?

"A lot," Delaney said. "A whole lot. We needed a low-post presence."

Please excuse this redundancy, but freshman guard Sylven Landesberg (19 points, nine rebounds and six assists) led Virginia.

Landesberg will not win national freshman of the year. That honor appears reserved for Oklahoma's Willie Warren or Memphis' Tyreke Evans, both guards.

But as talented as those young men are, consider their surroundings. Evans plays alongside a few leftovers from last season's national runner-up; Warren runs with Blake Griffin, Division I's best player and the presumptive No. 1 pick of this year's NBA draft.

Landesberg? His teammates are, to be kind, limited.

Warren and Evans may be more skilled and more valued NBA prospects, but find me a freshman more valuable to his team.

Without Landesberg, U.Va. is U.Va.-Wise.

No wonder Virginia devotes an entire page of its media game notes to Landesberg, the nation's No. 2 freshman scorer behind Liberty's Seth Curry. No wonder the ACC has selected him rookie of the week six times.

Already Landesberg has dusted Virginia's freshman record for 20-point games with 12. Ralph Sampson had nine. Next up, Tyler Hansbrough's ACC mark of 14.

Delaney extended his ACC-best streak of double-figure games to 30 with 11 points Wednesday. But most of them were empty, and he missed 10 of 13 shots.

Virginia Tech's five remaining regular-season games — Florida State, at Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, and at Florida State — feature opponents that will make the NCAA tournament.

The issue is, will the Hokies?

It's a darn fine question, but this much we know: Virginia Tech will have ample opportunity to prove its NCAA worthiness while Virginia continues its drive toward salvaging a season that once appeared lost.

 

Cavs shellac Hokies
UVa goes on a 10-0 run at the end of the first half and hands Tech a painful loss.
Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Once Virginia lost eight games in a row, the spoiler role was all the Cavaliers had left.

Too bad for UVa, the academy doesn't award an Oscar in that category.

Three days after snapping their longest losing streak in 10 days, the Cavaliers continued to take out their frustration Wednesday in a 75-61 victory over Virginia Tech.

Virginia's first two ACC wins had come in overtime, including an 85-81 triumph Sunday, but the Cavaliers (9-13, 3-8 ACC) built a 19-point second-half lead Wednesday, and the Hokies could get no closer than eight over the final seven minutes.

With a chance to move into a second-place tie in the ACC, Tech (16-8, 6-5) fell all the way to seventh.

"Things are different when we play Virginia Tech," said UVa junior Calvin Baker, who was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final 3:19.

"On campus all day, that's all you hear: 'We're coming to the game. Beat the Hokies.'

"We don't mind knocking teams out of the NCAA tournament, if that's what happens, but we just try to get better every day. We're in the bottom half of the league, so any game we win, it's going to be an upset."

The Hokies had won the last three games in the series and four of the last five but were without sophomore post man Jeff Allen, suspended for one game after making an obscene gesture Saturday at Maryland.

Allen had failed to score from the field in an earlier Tech-UVa game, but teammates Malcolm Delaney and A.D. Vassallo had combined for 53 points in a 78-75 Tech win in Blacksburg.

Vassallo had a game-high 21 points Wednesday, but Delaney missed all five of his 3-point attempts and finished with 11 points and five turnovers.

"He's a good shooter," Tech coach Seth Greenberg said.

"It's not the shooting touch, He missed shots. Shoot, Dwyane Wade misses shots. He hasn't lost it. It's not like he's put it somewhere in his room and he's going to be looking around all night to find it."

Delaney attempted only two shots during a first half that ended with the Cavaliers ahead 39-29.

"I told him he needed to be more aggressive," Greenberg said. "We've got to get him the ball sooner. We've got to pass the ball better. With Jeff out, I think it's easier to push out an extra defender on him. Face it, you've got A.D. and Malcolm and they're playing that 3-2 zone. It's pretty easy to mark 'em."

As a team, the Hokies shot 36.7 percent from the field, compared to 43.9 percent for Virginia. The Cavaliers had a 38-37 rebounding edge and committed only 10 turnovers.

"We won the game the way I've tried to have the game played since I've been here," UVa coach Dave Leitao said.

"That's defense, rebounding and getting out on the break, [with] timely offense."

UVa freshman Sylven Landesberg made only six of 17 shots from the field but finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Jamil Tucker scored 13 points and Mike Scott added 10 as UVa's bench, composed of several former starters, outscored Tech's reserves 32-3.

Five of Landesberg's assists came during the first half, the last after he had let the shot clock run down, then fed 6-foot-11 Tunji Soroye for a layup that capped a 10-0 run.

Leitao and Greenberg used the same word, "huge," to describe the final 3:14 of the first half. Soroye had five of his season-high six points during that sequence.

"We've had this watershed moment, and he's been part of that," Leitao said of his seldom-used fifth-year senior.

Greenberg, whose Hokies entered the game as 112-point favorites, figured that Virginia would be energized by the victory over Clemson.

"I don't think they would have gotten on the loudspeaker after the game and said, 'Well, we lost tonight, but stick with us and please come back on Wednesday,'" Greenberg said.

"Their win gave them some momentum. We played two games on the road and it's hard to win on the road in this league.

"You've got to be really, really good and tonight we weren't really, really good."

 

Watching is punishment enough
Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Maybe they brought him just so he could watch, be a part of the huddles.

A part of the anguish.

Suspended Virginia Tech post player Jeff Allen viewed this debacle not from Blacksburg but from the end of the bench. He wore a hooded Hokies sweatshirt, jeans and white sneakers.

And he looked miserable.

They all did Wednesday night, really, and that makes sense. Their rival -- the only team in the ACC without double-digit victories -- was embarrassing them. Their NCAA tournament hopes were shriveling.

Virginia's lead reached 13, then 17, then 19, and the Hokies could do nothing.

That's literally true for Allen, the conference's third-best rebounder who was confined to the pine.

So what did we learn from UVa's 75-61 victory at John Paul Jones Arena? Simple: You can't flip people off. Not early in the season, not in the middle of the season, and certainly not late in the season. You may feel an overwhelming urge to. But you can't.

Look. I've seen what Allen saw on Saturday. I've heard the kinds of things he apparently heard. I spent three years as an usher at Cole Field House while a student at Maryland 10 years ago. I heard vitriolic language in the student section. I broke up fights. The hard-edge reputation there is earned, much as an alum would rather not admit it. College Park can be a nasty, nasty place.

But you can't respond to it.

Allen's bird may have cost Tech a bid. We'll never know if the Hokies would have won this game with him -- the Cavaliers put in an inspired performance after their upset of Clemson over the weekend -- but we can ask questions.

Does UVa's Jeff Jones slither in for that reverse layup if Allen's waiting on the baseline? Does Mike Scott get such a good look at that little jump hook if Allen's manning the paint? Does Sylven Landesberg snag that offensive rebound, all alone?

Tech's uneasiness began almost immediately. The Cavaliers grabbed offensive rebounds on their first three missed shots of the game. Allen's territory.

Remember, this is a Tech team that bills itself as fueled by "The Big 3." It's right there in the game notes, "The Big 3." A.D. Vassallo. Malcolm Delaney. Jeff Allen. The first two of those make their living on the perimeter. The third does a lot of the dirty work -- the boxing out, the altering of shots, the battling.

"A lot," Delaney said, when asked how much it hurt the team not having Allen. "A whole lot. We needed a low-post presence."

Especially when Delaney is struggling. Wednesday marked the fourth straight game Tech's brilliant combo guard couldn't find his shot. Delaney attempted just two shots in the first half, and in the second half we all saw why.

He finished the game 3-for-13 from the field and is shooting just 31 percent since the loss at Boston College.

But maybe he gets a few better looks Wednesday if Allen's in the game providing an inside threat. Tech coach Seth Greenberg suggested that as a possibility but didn't address Allen further, saying "we coached the guys that we have on our roster that were able to play."

Greenberg shares some culpability here. Allen's actions at Maryland were his and his alone, but the coach has had his share of tirades, too. He calls them "out-of-body experiences."

Sometimes they're funny. Sometimes they're embarrassing. But bottom line: Is it reasonable to expect the players to show composure at all times when the coach doesn't?

Greenberg was mostly reserved in this one. He spent much of the night squatting on the sidelines with his hands clasped in front of him, occasionally bringing them to his face when the Hokies made another lousy play.

Behind him sat Allen, presumably just as discouraged. It was good that he was here. Watching this mess was a better lesson than any lecture.
 

Energized UVa handles Hokies
By Chris Lang
Sports writer
Published: February 19, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Since Virginia coach Dave Leitao opened the second half of the Boston College game Feb. 4 with the “energy” lineup, the Cavaliers have gone from ACC punching bag to suddenly dangerous opponent.
Yes, it really is that simple, Cavaliers guard Jeff Jones said Wednesday night after UVa broke a three-game losing streak to bitter rival Virginia Tech by handling the Hokies 75-61 at John Paul Jones Arena.
Energy leads to enthusiasm, which leads to aggression, which leads to confidence — on the offensive and defensive end. Virginia displayed all those traits Wednesday in front of a JPJA crowd hungry for a win against the rival Hokies.
“It starts with the first half,” said Jones, who scored all eight of his points after halftime. “You see the first couple of ACC games, teams have been throwing the first punch and attacking us first. But now, we’re coming out here, and we’re just attacking first. We’re being the aggressor.”
That was evident on the defensive end, especially during a crucial stretch right before halftime. The Cavaliers, using a 3-2 zone to disrupt the Hokies, held Tech (16-9, 6-5 ACC) without a field goal for the final 4:56 of the half. With forward Jeff Allen out of the picture due to a one-game suspension for making an obscene gesture at Maryland Saturday, Virginia concentrated on slowing the other two main Hokie threats.
A.D. Vassallo scored 21 points and Malcolm Delaney added 11, but the two combined to shoot 11 of 31 from the floor and 2 of 11 from 3-point range. During Virginia’s 10-0 run to end the first half, Vassallo attempted one shot, Delaney none.
It’s the sort of defensive mentality Leitao has been preaching since Day 1. But it’s only now coming out of his players, and it starts with the energy lineup, which features Jones, Sylven Landesberg, Calvin Baker, Assane Sene and Solomon Tat.
“I’m very, very proud because we won the game the way I’ve tried to have the game played since I’ve been here, which is defense, rebounding and getting out on the break with timely offense,” Leitao said. “I thought throughout the course of the game, we did that.”
The 10-0 run broke a 29-all tie. Jamil Tucker hit a 3-pointer to put Virginia (9-13, 3-8) up 32-29. J.T. Thompson was called for a charge, and after the turnover, Tucker found Tunji Soroye with a perfect backdoor pass for a dunk. Soroye, who scored six points in seven minutes, closed the run with a layup off a pass from Landesberg with 1.5 seconds left, giving Virginia a 39-29 lead at the break.
“It was real big. Coach always preaches that we need everybody, and you’ll never know when your time is going to be called,” said Baker, who scored 10 points. “Tunji’s time was called, and he stepped up big like a senior captain should.”
The Cavs maintained a double-digit lead for much of the second half. Tech chipped it to eight once in the final three minutes but got no closer.
Early on, Landesberg was the offensive aggressor. He got the crowd of 11,174 going with a huge dunk two minutes into the game and finished with 12 first-half points. Landesberg didn’t just score, though. He passed deftly out of double teams to open teammates for five first-half assists (he finished with six).
“That’s the part of his game that’s growing,” Tech coach Seth Greenberg said.
Virginia’s confidence is growing, too. After beating Clemson Sunday, the Cavaliers were determined to show that effort was no fluke. Against a Tech team desperate for a road win to add to its NCAA tournament resume, the Cavs were the aggressor from the start and came away victorious.
“I said before the Clemson game, we just need one win, and we’ll be on the right path,” Landesberg said. “We got that win, and now we’re just moving along with it.”

 

Cavs play spoiler, top Hokies in home upset
Inspired play, fired-up crowd allows Virginia to topple in-state rivals; Leitao credits defense and rebounding for win
Ernie Washington, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Thursday, February 19 2009

Freshman guard Sylven Landesberg, despite shooting 6-17 from the field, led the Cavaliers in scoring and complemented his points with a well-rounded effort that included nine rebounds and six assists. After the upset victory against Clemson Sunday, Virginia coach Dave Leitao thanked the fans for the energy and support they provided during the game. Not only did the fans step it up another notch yesterday, the team responded to the fans again, as it played electrifying basketball while defeating arch-rival Virginia Tech 75-61.

“We won the game the way I’ve tried to have the game played since I’ve been here, which is about defense, rebounding, getting out on the break and timely offense,” Leitao said. “Throughout the course of the game, we did that.”

Before the game, the team added a little twist to its pregame entrance. Instead of entering from its normal location, the team walked down to the court from the far right stairway in the student section behind the basket, drawing a wild reaction from students and faculty alike.

“[Director of Operations] Rick Brunson came to me before we were warming up and told me that’s what we were doing,” junior guard Calvin Baker said about the entrance. “I don’t know whose idea it was but I think it was a good idea because it got a lot of the players hyped up.”

Following the script from the Clemson game, the Cavaliers played an inspired first half, as they took a 28-22 lead with 5:52 left in the first half. Even though Virginia Tech tied the score at 29 with 3:45 left in the half, Virginia went on a 10-0 run that changed the complexion of the game.

“[The 10-0 run] was huge,” Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. “We were playing from behind the whole second half.”
Senior center Tunji Soroje helped fuel the run, something Leitao was happy to see from the big man.

“When we got up 10, a lot of those points came from him,” Leitao said. “It’s great to see that for him; obviously tonight it was great for us as well to get that lead and be able to play off of that in the second half.”

In the second half, two players in particular stepped up their efforts to lead the Cavaliers to victory. Sophomore forward Mike Scott — who was forced to sit out for a majority of the first half when he picked up his second foul after only 7:10 had run off the clock — scored all of his 10 points and grabbed all four rebounds in the second half. Sophomore guard Jeff Jones also rose to the occasion, scoring eight second half points.

“I thought [Mike] had been ready to go psychologically, and he was more upset than I was about playing three minutes and having the early foul trouble; I knew he would give us better effort and be in attack mode in the second half,” Leitao said. “As Jeff is getting more and more comfortable, he’s making more shots and as he makes more shots, obviously it makes us better — because we need to take more shots.”

Even though Virginia freshman guard Sylven Landesberg had an off-night shooting — missing 11 of his 17 shot attempts — he was able to contribute 6 assists to go along with his 19 points.

“That’s the part of his game that is growing,” Greenberg said regarding Sylven’s passing ability. “He’s so good off of the ball screens, he changes speeds and direction so well that you have to commit and try to string him out a little bit and that opens up passing lanes.”
Virginia Tech was forced to play this game without sophomore forward Jeff Allen, who was suspended after recently showing Maryland fans the middle finger. As a result, Leitao took a different approach to his team’s defense — the Cavaliers held Virginia Tech to 37 percent from the field, caused the Hokies to miss nine of their 11 three-point attempts and held sophomore guard Malcolm Delaney to three of 13 shooting from the field.

“In preparation it allowed us to play up more,” Leitao said. “Meaning obviously you have to tag those two shooters [Delaney and senior guard A.D. Vassallo], and you have to be there on the catch, but you can step out one, two, maybe even sometimes three more steps when you hedge people or you help and not know that there’s a guy behind them that could potentially get 20 to 30 points.”

The loss was a critical one for the Hokies, as they can ill-afford to lose to teams below them in the ACC standings if they want to make the NCAA Tournament. Virginia, on the other hand, has another chance to cripple a team on the NCAA Tournament bubble as it travels Saturday to Raleigh to face N.C. State.

“We’re just trying to build as much momentum as we can,” Baker said. “If it means that we have to pop a team’s bubble then that’s what we are going to do.”

 

Perfect, for a night
Paul Montana
Published: Thursday, February 19 2009

Never this season have I been prouder to be a fan of the Virginia men’s basketball team.

Unbiased, professional journalism be damned – last night’s 75-61 victory was awesome. As bad as both Virginia and its fans had been in the home game against Florida State Jan. 24, the Cavaliers and their fans were collectively brilliant against the Hokies yesterday.

Let’s start from the top: freshman Sylven Landesberg. He’s been phenomenal all year, averaging 18 points per game going into yesterday’s battle; taking a casual glance at the box score from last night, one might consider Landesberg’s 19 points on 6-17 shooting to be simply the norm – perhaps even a bit sub-par, given the 11 missed shots.

The difference between Landesberg’s production last night and his 20-point night the first time around against the Hokies Jan. 10, however, illustrates just how much he has grown. On top of the 19 points, he also had six assists – and they weren’t of the Greg Paulus to J.J. Reddick variety. They were of the type that Landesberg had been somewhat less inclined to make a month ago; rather than putting his head down and thinking of nothing but the rim, he kept his head up and found his bigs, or found a shooter in the corner. Nearly every decision he made in traffic was the right one. Hence the lone turnover last night, compared to the 3.3 per game he averaged coming into the evening and the six he had against the Hokies at Cassell Coliseum. Throw in the nine rebounds that he pulled down, and you’ve got yourself a complete ball-player.

Next: the defense. For the first half of the season, nothing worked; Leitao tried man-to-man, 3-2 zone, 2-3 zone, full-court pressure, all to no avail. Then, after trailing by 20 to Boston College at halftime, Leitao finally found something that worked in his unconventional 3-2 zone. Then in the upset win against Clemson Sunday, the man-to-man worked for nearly the full 40 minutes for the first time.
“We know we can play defense any way we want now,” Baker said.

With both of those weapons at Leitao’s disposal, he bounced back and forth between the two defenses — and it worked to perfection. Going into the evening, all I hoped for was to keep Hokie sophomore guard Malcolm Delaney under 20 points; he shot 3-of-13 for 11.

Of course, fans should give a healthy thank you to Jeff Allen for his unique display of affection for the Maryland crowd — flipping the bird — resulting in his one-game suspension last night. Allen or no Allen, though, Virginia gets props for holding the Hokies to 61 points, and in particular, for holding Delaney to 11.

“I thought Calvin [Baker], Jeff [Jones], Sylven [Landesberg] — all the perimeter guys — did a terrific job on two of their big three guys, especially Delaney,” Leitao said. “We did a good job of taking his space away.”

Then there was the offense, which was, for once, a joy to watch. The offensive rebounding was great — Virginia had 15 for the night — but that’s never been the problem. Rather, movement, whether it was with the ball or of players off the ball, and finding openings below the free throw line were the issue; at times, none of that had happened in the past, and the Cavs had been, well, pathetic.

Quite the opposite happened last night, though. Case in point was the sheer number of dunks. Can you remember the last time Virginia had that many throw-downs in a game this season? Or even half as many?

“Everybody joined the dunk party,” sophomore guard Jeff Jones said.

Finally — the fans. For those of you who read my column every week — in other words, Mom and Dad — you may remember that, the last time we played Virginia Tech, I laid into both Virginia athletics and the fans. In particular, I said that Hokies are better fans than Hoos. If it came solely down to sports, I claimed, I’d rather be a Hokie.

First, the disappointing part: I have yet to change my mind. One game doesn’t make a difference, folks.

But significant progress was apparent. It wasn’t just that students turned out in droves; that should be a given for Virginia Tech. It was the atmosphere of the game. It was the fact that fans arrived to the game educated enough in the opposition to chant, “Doc-tor Pepp-er!” in honor of A.D. Vassallo, who was charged with shoplifting a 12-pack of the beverage from a convenience store. (Even more impressively, this was despite the Hoo Crew’s failure to include Vassallo’s escapade on the hype sheet e-mailed to all students before the game — the Hoo Crew ought to take a look in the mirror for that faux pas.)

All in all, it was perfect. Who knows where Virginia can go from here?

“You can win the [ACC] Tournament,” junior Calvin Baker said. “You never know what can happen.”

Hold the phone. I’m all for optimism, but let’s just take this win as a positive sign.

On the other hand, a positive sign is, in itself, a complete 180 from where Virginia was in January.

 

Hokies picked terrible time to get sloppy with their play
February 19, 2009 12:35 am
CHARLOTTESVILLE

--The outcome had long been determined, but Virginia Tech was trying for one face-saving final basket. A.D. Vassallo drove to his right and flipped the ball behind him to an unprepared Dorenzo Hudson, who fumbled it out of bounds.

It was a fitting finish for the Hokies, who in the past week have watched their grip on an NCAA tournament at-large bid slip through their hands.

Last night's lackluster 75-61 loss to 11th-place Virginia followed an equally moribund 83-73 setback at Maryland Saturday and left the Hokies (16-9, 6-5) in the middle of the congested Atlantic Coast Conference standings--with an unforgiving schedule ahead of them.

"A week ago, we were on a two-game winning streak," coach Seth Greenberg said. "We weren't jumping off bridges or slitting our wrists. We're not in panic mode."

Maybe not, but concern would be advisable.

The euphoria from last month's road upsets of then-No. 1 Wake Forest and Miami has long since evaporated. A blown 15-point lead in the next game, at home against Clemson, started a slide of four losses in Tech's last six games.

Still, had the Hokies claimed very winnable games at Maryland and Virginia, they'd be sitting second in the jumbled ACC standings. Instead, they're fighting for their NCAA tournament lives.

And things don't get any easier between now and the ACC tournament. The Hokies have two games remaining with Florida State (No. 19 in the latest RPI rankings) and one each with Clemson (No. 8), Duke (1) and North Carolina (6).

Three of those final five will be played at Cassell Coliseum, where the Hokies are 70-21 under Greenberg. But all five opponents will be bigger, stronger and more talented than the Terrapins and Cavaliers, which makes the past week all the more painful.

Tech's players blamed the Maryland loss on poor practices. This week, "it was the total opposite," sophomore guard Malcolm Delaney said. "But it didn't carry over to the game."

Tech is getting used to heartbreak. A two-point loss to top-ranked North Carolina in last year's ACC tournament semifinals denied them an NCAA tournament berth. This year, they've lost two games at the buzzer (one on a halfcourt heave by Xavier) and blown the big lead against Clemson.

It would be easy to blame last night's on the absence of sophomore forward Jeff Allen, who was suspended for flipping the bird to Maryland fans after fouling out. And yes, he was missed. Allen isn't exactly known as a fearsome shot-blocker, but his absence left more holes in the Hokies' defense than there are in Alex Rodriguez's steroids story.

By halftime, Virginia senior backup center Tunji Soroye already had matched his career high in points against an ACC opponent (six). Freshman starter Assane Sene had two of the Cavaliers' six first-half dunks, and Virginia held a 10-point lead--without power forward Mike Scott, its No. 2 scorer who played just three minutes because of foul trouble.

For the night, the Cavaliers--who have no one who reminds anyone of Blake Griffin--had 10 dunks or layups.

Tech's current problems go beyond defense, though. Leading scorer Delaney (18.6 average) has shot a combined 9-for-28 in his last two games, and all three of his field goals last night were breakaway layups.

Allen's return alone won't solve that, although having their low-post scoring threat back should help Delaney and Vassallo get better looks from the perimeter. But there's far more to fix--and quickly.

Said Delaney: "We've got to play defense and get stops. We've got to get back to doing what was winning games for us before."

So just how damaging were the past five days?

"It depends on what happens in the next five games," Greenberg said. "If we don't win any of them, this was a bad loss. If we win three of 'em, it's a loss.

"Our season's not over. We're not going to throw a pity party for ourselves. We can win all five. If we do, this was not a damaging loss. We've just got to play a little better."

Try a lot better.

 

Cavs hurt Hokies' NCAA bid
February 19, 2009 12:35 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE

--The Virginia Tech men's basketball team has hopes of reaching the NCAA tournament.

State rival Virginia simply hopes head coach Dave Leitao isn't fired at the end of the season.

When the Hokies and Cavaliers clashed last night in front of 11,174 at John Paul Jones Arena, it may have been difficult to tell which team was in what situation.

Virginia looked like a team capable of playing in March, while the Hokies appeared disjointed.

The Cavaliers' 75-61 victory won't bolster any hopes of them reaching the postseason, but it was the second straight triumph for a team that seemed destined for just one Atlantic Coast Conference win a week ago.

Virginia (9-13, 3-8 ACC) was paced by 19 points from star freshman guard Sylven Landesberg. Reserve forward Jamil Tucker added 13, while guard Calvin Baker and forward Mike Scott scored 10 each.

The Cavaliers held Virginia Tech to 37 percent shooting from the floor.

"It goes without saying when you win like that, it makes me very, very proud," Leitao said. "We won the game the way I've tried to have the game played since I've been here, which is about defense, rebounding, getting out on the break and timely offense. I thought throughout the course of the game we did that."

Virginia's victory last night followed an 85-81 overtime win over nationally ranked Clemson on Sunday.

That victory came on the heels of an eight-game losing streak.

The Hokies (16-9, 6-5) had an opportunity to move into a tie for second place in the ACC standings with a victory last night.

Instead, they added another disheartening loss to an already shaky NCAA resume that includes losses to Seton Hall, Georgia and Maryland.

It doesn't get any easier for Virginia Tech because all five of its remaining games are against teams in the RPI top 20, including contests against North Carolina, Duke and Clemson.

"The season isn't over," Hokies head coach Seth Greenberg said. "We're not going to throw a pity party for ourselves."

Virginia's victory does come with one caveat: The Hokies were playing without third-leading scorer and leading rebounder Jeff Allen, who was suspended one game for making an obscene gesture toward Maryland fans in a loss on Saturday.

Virginia Tech could've used the standout power forward.

It fell behind by as many as 19 points in the second half. The game began to get away from Virginia Tech after it tied Virginia at 29 on two A.D. Vassallo free throws late in the first half.

The Cavaliers then went on a 10-0 run to take a 39-29 lead into intermission.

The run was capped by Landesberg breaking down the Virginia Tech defense and finding backup center Tunji Soroye underneath the basket for a layup with time expiring in the first half.

The Cavaliers didn't let up after the break.

Sophomore guard Jeff Jones, who was held scoreless in the first half, opened the second half with five straight points.

A Jones 3-pointer with 7:21 remaining gave the Cavaliers a 60-41 lead.

The Hokies made a brief rally.

They pulled within 11 at 60-49 on back-to-back three-point plays from Malcolm Delaney and Vassallo (team-high 21 points). They later came within eight points at 67-59 on a Terrell Bell 3-pointer with 2:37 remaining.

But the Cavaliers were able to hold them off by going on an 8-2 run to close the game. Virginia visits North Carolina State on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Hokies host Florida State on Saturday at 8 p.m.

 

Cavs win with authority
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 19, 2009

Dunks aren’t kept as an official statistic. Maybe they should be.

Dunks can tell you so much about a game.

They can be a measure of execution. They can be a measure of aggression. They can be a measure of dominance.

On Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena, Virginia registered very high in all three departments against Virginia Tech.

UVa — behind 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists from freshman Sylven Landesberg, some unexpected intangibles from Tunji Soroye off the bench and defense that held the visitors to 37-percent shooting — dunked the Hokies, 75-61, in front of a fired-up crowd of 11,174.

“I haven’t seen a lot of our big guys dunk the ball like I did today,” said Leitao, with a chuckle. “It’s about sharing the basketball and finding the open man.”

Virginia (9-13, 3-8 ACC) snapped a three-game losing streak against Virginia Tech and won two straight games for the first time since late December.

“I thought our guys were really ready — physically and mentally,” said Leitao, whose team travels to N.C. State on Saturday.

The Hokies appeared to miss the services of third-leading scorer Jeff Allen, who had been suspended for the game by Virginia Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver for making an obscene gesture during the team’s loss to Maryland on Saturday.

Sophomore J.T. Thompson started in Allen’s place. He finished with 10 points, but scored just four after intermission.

Virginia set the tone — as it had in the previous two games — in the first half.

Landesberg flew to the hoop for a one-handed jam. Assane Sene had two dunks of his own.

“Everybody joined the dunk party today,” said UVa guard Jeff Jones. “It was a dunk party out there today that, I think, just uplifted the fans. When we get the fans into the game, we’re a heck of a team.”

Leitao was pleased that the sluggish, emotional starts to games that had plagued the team during its eight-game losing streak appear to be a thing of the past.

“They’ve done a terrific job of realizing that,” Leitao said, “and being ready to go.”

Tech’s baskets didn’t come nearly as easy because of some stingy Virginia defense. The Hokies (16-9, 6-5) stayed in the game thanks to the shooting of senior A.D. Vassallo (game-high 21 points).

The lead changed seven times until Virginia went up, 19-18, after Sene’s second throw-down.

Then it was “Tunji Time.” With the game tied at 29, the fifth-year senior had, arguably, the five most productive minutes of his career.

Soroye had five points, two rebounds and a block in leading Virginia on a 10-0 run to close the half.

Soroye’s spurt included a dunk off a pretty feed from Jamil Tucker and a layup as the buzzer sounded off an equally sweet dish by Landesberg.

As Virginia headed to the locker room, the soft-spoken Soroye was slapped on his back by almost every one of his teammates.

The Cavaliers picked right up where they left off when the second half started.

Jeff Jones drilled a 3-pointer, then converted on a strong drive to the basket. Mike Scott punctuated an 11-6 run with a flying one-handed dunk on the fastbreak.

Virginia led by as many as 19 with 7 minutes and 15 seconds remaining after a Jones’ 3-pointer. Tech could never get closer than eight the rest of the way.

 

Cavaliers finally hit their stride
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: February 19, 2009

What a difference a week makes. Just ask Dave Leitao and Seth Greenberg.

A week ago, Greenberg’s Virginia Tech team was steaming toward a likely NCAA Tournament bid, sitting at 6-3 in the ACC and fresh off wins against N.C. State and Georgia Tech.

By contrast, Leitao’s Virginia squad appeared doomed, dead in the water. They were tied for last in the league and sinking fast. Fans were booing at halftime and scrambling for exits in the final minutes as if there were a bomb scare.

Since then, things have changed for each of the archest of rivals.

Leitao’s Cavaliers have risen from the dead. Going back to the basics, his team finally started playing the way he had intended all along: solid defense and rebounding.

As a result, UVa has been the hottest team in the conference over the past eight days, knocking off 12th-ranked Clemson on Sunday, then ending a drought against Virginia Tech on Wednesday night with a 75-61 triumph.

Playing for pride

It was a huge win for Leitao, who had come under fire from Wahoo Nation after a horrendous 7-13 start, fueled by an eight-game ACC losing streak. While his Cavaliers are likely not going anywhere, standing at 9-13 (3-8 in the league), they have salvaged their self-pride.

The pressure was enormous for UVa coming into the game. Leitao’s teams had lost three straight to Tech.

Fairly or unfairly, Leitao was on the receiving end of every Wahoo fans’ frustration over Virginia’s shortcomings against its state rival in his own sport and football, where the Cavs have lost seven of the last eight.

While Tech has dominated the football series, at least UVa fans had always been able to point to basketball as a measure of revenge. Until last year when the Hokies swept the series, both wins in overtime, then won this year’s first meeting in Blacksburg.

Do or die

Last night, the Wahoos had to stop the bleeding or it was going to get ugly, especially with Tech showing up at less that full strength due to the one-game suspension of power forward Jeff Allen for flipping off Maryland fans last weekend.

Meanwhile, the Hokies have to be sweating bullets about their immediate future.

This was a game Tech could not afford to lose. Sitting at 6-5 in the ACC and 16-9 overall, it doesn’t get any easier for the Hokies. Their remaining five games are all killers: two games with surging Florida State, a game at Clemson, then home contests against the league’s perennial giants, North Carolina and Duke.

Maybe Virginia isn’t going anywhere, but it can take solace in perhaps ruining its greatest rival’s season.

 

Virginia wins in opener
By Bart Isley
Published: February 19, 2009

Led by Ashley McCulloch’s four goals and four assists, Virginia put together an offensive barrage and the No.4 Cavaliers got off to exactly the kind of start they hoped for with a 19-3 runaway victory over Virginia Tech on Wednesday — the earliest season opener in the program’s history.

“We played sharp and kept playing the Virginia style,” said head coach Julie Myers. “To get everybody through the rotation without seeing much dropoff was really nice to see as well.”

Josie Owen’s hat trick highlighted a strong first day from the Cavaliers’ highly-regarded freshman class in chilly temperatures at Klockner Stadium. The freshman seems to have quickly found her role within an offense that features a number of prolific goalscorers.

“She’s definitely going to help us this year and be a key contributor,” said McCulloch. “She’s really good around the goal and at getting loose balls. She’ll definitely help around the crease.”

Freshmen Julie Gardner and Bailey Fogarty also got in on the act and notched a goal each for the Cavaliers. Ainsley Baker, a redshirt freshman, had two assists.

Virginia outshot the Hokies 26-8 before the break while jumping out to a 10-2 halftime lead and never looked back. Owen got the scoring started less than three minutes into the game on a dish from McCulloch. From there, senior All-Americans Blair Weymouth and McCulloch kicked things into high gear with McCulloch feeding Weymouth twice on goals that came 18 seconds apart and put Virginia up 3-0.

A few minutes — and a few goals — later, Weymouth returned the favor, setting the table for McCulloch. Virginia then struck quickly again, scoring 18 seconds later off the ensuing draw as Weymouth finished off a Baker pass to complete her own hat trick. With Virginia up 8-1, the rout was on. As usual, McCulloch and Weymouth played well off of each other throughout the game.

“They always position themselves close to each other so that if there’s a clear through then it’s going to Blair as the draw and dump player with [McCulloch],” Myers said. “They kind of get the other players in the right spot so they can do their thing and intensify their effectiveness.”

Weymouth poured in her hat trick and dished out a pair of assists. Whit Hagerman also had three goals while Kaitlin Duff added two of her own.

While the Virginia offense dominated, the defense was equally strong. Redshirt sophomore goalie Lauren Benner, in her first collegiate start, looked solid in net, making four saves on six Virginia Tech shots on goal. Virginia also didn’t seem to lose much when senior Sara Hairfield stepped in for Benner late in both halves.

But Virginia’s defensive unit made things easy on the goalies, forcing a number of turnovers by Virginia Tech and closing quickly on any open shooters. The Hokies had 17 turnovers in the first half alone and finished with 27 for the game.

On Saturday, Virginia will travel to face Loyola (Md.) before returning home to take on Richmond next Wednesday. After that, a Feb. 27 meeting on the road against No.2 Syracuse looms.

 

Cavaliers Down Hokies in Season Opener
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 02/18/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The No. 4 Virginia women’s lacrosse team opened its season in dominating fashion, defeating instate rival Virginia Tech, 19-3, in an Atlantic Coast Conference game played in Klöckner Stadium Wednesday evening.

Starting the game on a hot streak, the Cavaliers fired five-straight goals into the net before the Hokies were able to get a score of their own. Freshman Josie Owen sparked the streak, notching her first collegiate goal at the 27:36 mark. The senior All-American duo of Blair Weymouth and Ashley McCulloch then teamed up for the next two scores, with Weymouth firing two passes into the back of the net. Junior Whitaker Hagerman made it 4-0 at the 21:28 mark with a goal and Owen capped off the run with her second score at 18:42.

Virginia Tech got on the board at 18:12 with a goal from Jessica Nonn, but the Cavaliers answered with five of the next six scores to take a 10-2 advantage into the intermission. Hagerman, McCulloch, Weymouth and junior Marye Kellermann all scored for Virginia in that span.

Owen opened the scoring again in the second half, notching a score 50 seconds into play, but Rachel Culp answered for the Hokies to bring the score to 11-3. That would be all that Virginia’s defense would allow though, as the Cavaliers scored the final eight goals of the contest.

Freshman Bailey Fogarty tallied her first collegiate goal at the 20:54 mark to start the run. Hagerman then tacked on a goal, off a feed from redshirt freshman Ainsley Baker. McCulloch sandwiched two goals around one from sophomore Molly Millard before Duff scored back-to-back goals to carry the score to 18-3. Freshman Julie Gardner made an impressive cut with three minutes remaining to finish off a feed from Kellermann for her first collegiate goal, bringing the final count to 19-3.

In all, McCulloch led the way with a career-high eight points on four goals and four assists. Weymouth tallied three scores and two assists, while Hagerman had three goals and an assist. Owen notched three goals in her collegiate debut, while Duff contributed two. Kellermann, Gardner, Fogarty and Millard each contributed one goal. Baker and Duff each had two assists and Kellermann had one.

Defensively, junior Brittany Kalkstein won three draw controls and caused three turnovers. Owen scooped up four ground balls, while Hagerman, Duff and Kalkstein each had three.

For Tech, Nonn led the way with two goals and Culp added one. Senior goalkeeper Kari Morrison stopped 13 of the Cavaliers’ shots in cage.

Virginia will return to action on Saturday, as the Cavaliers head to Loyola for a 3:30 p.m. contest.

 

Groh loses Diaco, adds Prince to staff
By Jay Jenkins
Published: February 19, 2009

As one goes, another arrives.

In an odd offseason with more twists than a season of Melrose Place, Virginia landed a football coach and watched as another left.

Former assistant coach Bob Diaco, UVa’s defensive coordinator for the past two months, was officially announced as the new defensive coordinator at Cincinnati on Wednesday.

The move reunites Diaco with Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly, for whom he worked as co-defensive coordinator in 2006 at Central Michigan.

Virginia kept the revolving door spinning by hiring former offensive coordinator Ron Prince as the program’s special teams coach and assistant head coach, a title recently given to former defensive coordinator Bob Pruett. After one season at UVa, Pruett announced his retirement earlier this month.

Prince, 39, left UVa to become the head coach at Kansas State prior to the 2006 seasons. After compiling a 17-20 record, Kansas State elected to buy Prince out of a contract with a $1.2 million payment.

Virginia still has one vacancy on its staff, which is expected to be filled by a linebackers coach.

In all, coach Al Groh will have five new faces on his staff.

In December, the university announced that former defensive line coach Levern Belin and former offensive coorindator Mike Groh were resigning to pursue other possibilities, an announcement that Belin debunked. At the same time, former secondary coach Steve Bernstein announced his retirement.

The Cavaliers have since added an offensive coordinator (Gregg Brandon), a wide receivers coach (Latrell Scott) and a defensive line coach (Chad Wilt).

 

Diaco leaves Virginia
STAFF REPORTS
Published: February 19, 2009

The news that broke Sunday became official yesterday, when the University of Cincinnati announced it has hired Bob Diaco away from the University of Virginia.

In early December, Diaco was named Virginia's defensive coordinator, and he'll hold that same position at Cincinnati. The Bearcats' coach is Brian Kelly, under whom Diaco worked as an assistant at Central Michigan in 2005.

U.Va. coach Al Groh has lost two assistants this month: Diaco and Bob Pruett, who retired last week citing family reasons. In all, five assistants from Groh's 2008 staff are gone. In early December, he announced that his son Mike, Levern Belin and Steve Bernstein would not return in 2009.

Diaco, who turns 36 today, came to U.Va. from Central Michigan after the 2005 season. He coached linebackers (along with Al Groh) and coordinated Virginia's special teams in 2006, '07 and '08.

Pruett was Virginia's defensive coordinator in 2008, but his title was changed to assistant head coach for defense in early December, at which time Groh promoted Diaco to coordinator.

At Cincinnati, Diaco will replace Joe Trosey, whom Kelly fired last week. The Bearcats closed last season by losing to Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Groh has two openings on his staff, one of which will be filled by Ron Prince, who spent the past three seasons as Kansas State's coach. Prince, a former U.Va. offensive coordinator and offensive line, is expected to coach special teams. - Jeff White

 

Another lineman from U.Va. is near top of draft charts
Posted to: College Football Sports Virginia
By Tom Robinson
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 19, 2009

As usual, some 300 seekers will descend on Indianapolis these next few days for one of the nation's most unique job fairs, the NFL Scouting Combine.

And, as usual, one of the most popular applicants will be a hulking offensive lineman from the University of Virginia.

Left tackle Eugene Monroe will lift weights, sprint and shuttle-run around cones in the recent footsteps of ex-linemates D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Branden Albert, who impressed during their combine workouts at the old RCA Dome.

The new Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indy is where Monroe - among 14 invitees with connections locally or to Virginia colleges - will be examined, quizzed and tested by NFL doctors, executives and coaches doing diligence for April's draft.

That all worked out well for Ferguson and Albert - the former went No. 4 overall to the New York Jets in 2006, the latter No. 15 to the Kansas City Chiefs last year.

Monroe, 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, could go as high as No. 2 to the St. Louis Rams, who also picked second last year and chose U.Va. defensive end Chris Long. He and Monroe used to joust with each other in practice.

In any event, most draft analysts expect Monroe to go in the first 10 picks, though to U.Va. coach Al Groh, the "when" matters much less than the "where."

"That business is all about ego," Groh said. "What I want to see for Eugene is that he goes to a place where he can have the very best career."

Monroe is 1 of 5 Cavaliers scheduled to spend parts of four days at the combine, which began Wednesday night and stretches through Tuesday.

The others are tight end John Phillips, running back Cedric Peerman, linebacker Clint Sintim and receiver Kevin Ogletree, who could have returned to U.Va. for another season.

As opposed to last February, when Virginia Tech sent 11 players to Indianapolis, the Hokies will be represented by just two this year, cornerback Victor "Macho" Harris and defensive end Orion Martin.

Virginia Beach's Percy Harvin, an underclassman who helped Florida win the national championship, highlights the roster of local players, and projects as one of the combine's most intriguing specimens.

A receiver/running back hybrid, Harvin is among those the scouts are most anticipating to see run the 40-yard dash, said ESPN's analyst Mel Kiper Jr., who also noted another speedy underclassman, Missouri's Jeremy Maclin.

"They're two guys who need to blaze big 40s," Kiper said. "Maclin and Harvin, they know that's their forte. They better show it."